Abercrombie Caves on Sizing Policies, Will Stock Larger Sizes

Abercrombie & Fitch has developed an unfortunate reputation for its exclusionary branding, in particular recently thanks to a 2006 Salon profile of A&F CEO Mike Jeffries, which featured him explaining the brand only markets "to cool, good-looking people." The quotes went viral this year, and prompted numerous anti-Abercrombie campaigns, like plus-size blogger Jes Baker's "Attractive & Fat" photoshoot and the #FitchtheHomeless campaign, which saw A&F merch (re)gifted to homeless folk.

Both Abercrombie's stock prices and in-store sales at the brand are down, the latter for the seventh quarter in a row. Measures presumably designed to cut costs, like the fact that A&F stores basically don't bother with lights these days, aren't proving sufficient. (A helpful note: whatever expenses are allocated for the damp scent of tween cologne permeating the stores could also be better spent.) So starting next spring, Abercrombie & Fitch stores will include women's clothing, primarily the brand's "classic" slogan tees, in larger sizes — that is, sizes above the U.S. 10/12 it currently maxes out at. The brand will expand into shoes other than flip flops and accessories other than baseball caps. After years of being left out of the quintessentially American A&F apple pie, the brand is hoping plus-size customers will help save it. G'luck with that.